Guess Where Quiz No.3? Credit : Singapore Science Centre The photo above showed a model of a proposed place to be built on a 3.24 hectare area. The idea was first conceived in 1969. The place was opened in 1975. Most of us (probably my age or older or a bit younger) may have been to there before. Sad to say, it’s no longer around due to ‘poor attendance’. Guess where is this place and the name of this place? I will reveal the answer next week. Haha, this should be your weekend homework… Our Botanic Garden - Why 150 Years And Not 187 Years? Recently there are many news articles about the Botanic Garden, like the one on Sunday Times. A man bought an old photo album in London and consists of a few very old photos of the Botanic Garden. He was even offered a 6 figures sum for the album and he refused to sell it! But when you mention Botanic Garden to me, I will immediately think of a few things related to it : ‘the hawker center and small carpark opposite the main entrance, the bandstand, the pond’. Of course there are many changes now like the hawker center and small carpark may not be there anymore, and many facelift inside. Whenever I read about the history of our Botanic Gardens, it was always mentioned that Sir Stamford Raffles established the first Botanic Gardens in Singapore in 1822 along the slopes of Fort Canning Hill. If this is the case, why are why celebrating 150 years now in 2009 and not 187 years? So let us go thru the years and see why; - 1819 : Since 1819, Raffles had been toying with the idea of establishing a botanic garden in Singapore. He used his time to persuade Wallich to write a glowing report aimed at persuading the Colonial government into starting a botanic and experimental garden. Indeed, in one letter to Raffles dated November 1822, Wallich had described Singapore as such, “It abounds in an endless variety of plants equally interesting to the botanist, the agriculturist and the gardener, with unrivalled facilities and opportunities of disseminating these treasures and exchanging them for others“. Three years before, the construction of Raffles bungalow on Government Hill (which is today Fort Canning Hill) had already seen an experimental garden being laid out in the vicinity, with some 125 nutmeg trees, 1,000 seeds of nutmeg, and 450 clove plants planted. - 1822 : But do we know exactly where is the old Botanic and Experimental Garden? Let us take a look at the below maps before we proceed on. Credit : Jackson Town Map, National Parks, Gardens of the Istana Below shows the current location of the old Botanic and Experimental Garden; 1. The canal is very obvious but the roads name may have changed: Credit : 1998 Singapore Street Directory, Ministry of Law Credit : Google Map Sir Stamford Raffles, a keen naturalist, built his own house on the Bukit Larangan, later known as Government Hill (now known as Fort Canning Hill). Raffles instructed Farquhar, the Resident, that a Botanic and Experimental Garden be set up on Government Hill; an area of 48 acres was allotted for this purpose. An 1819 Map showing the Govt Hill; Credit : Singapore University Press, The Singapore River He aimed to introduce cultivation of economic crops such as cocoa and nutmeg, including those yielding fruits, vegetables, spices and other raw materials. The Botanic and Experimental Garden was started on the north of the Hill and was extended to the North-East of the Hill and this covered the area now occupied by the Anglo-Chinese School, Coleman Street, the Armenian Church and the National Museum. The man Raffles appointed to supervise the Botanic and Experimental Garden was Dr Nathaniel Wallich, a Dane, born in Copenhagen. The mature spice garden was the site of Singapore’s first botanical gardens, established primarily by Sir Stamford Raffles for experimental purposes. See what the above said “To commemorate Singapore’s first botanical garden founded on Government Hill in 1822″. So why not 187 years from 1822 then? - 1829 : After 7 years, in 1829 the Botanic and Experimental Garden, was a failure. It was abandoned after Raffles death, due to lack of funds to maintain it. The main reason given was that it was not economical. It cost the settlement $60 per month (a large sum of money in early Singapore) to unkeep it. So why the Botanic Gardens does not date back to 1822 then? Personally I think it’s because the first Gardens was officially named as “Botanical and Experimental Garden” instead of Botanic Garden. Or is it because the location of the first garden and the current one is different? Frankly, I really don’t know the reason why, do you? - 1859 : 30 years later, the present Botanic Garden began when the Ari Horticultural Society was granted 32 hectares of land in Tanglin (Napier Road) by the colonial government. The land was obtained from merchant Hoo Ah Kay or Whampoa, in exchange for the land at Boat Quay. The Garden was only about 23 hectares in 1866 as shown in the following map; Credit : Straits Times, SPH The Garden was officially opened to the public in 1874 by the Governor Lieutenant General Sir Andrew Clarke who presented two horned rhinoceroses. Not many know that the garden also flourished as a zoo for 20 years when it was abandoned in 1905. Not many photos of the Botanic Gardens were found in the net during the 19th century; Credit : Gardens in the Istana, National Parks, GR Lambert & Co. The Botanic Garden was planned as a leisure garden and ornamental park. The Society organised flower shows and horticultural fetes. Laurence Niven was hired as superintendent and landscape designer to turn what were essentially overgrown plantations and a tangle of virgin rainforest into a public park. The layout of the Botanic Gardens as it is today is largely based on Niven’s design. The photo below shows some Javanese workers employed to maintain the garden in the 19th century; Credit : Gardens in the Instana, National Parks, GR Lambert & Co. - 1874 : In 1874, the Society ran out of funds, handed over management and maintenance of the gardens to the Colonial government. The scientific mission of the Gardens evolved when the colonial government assumed management and deployed Kew-trained botanists and horticulturists to administer the Gardens. - 1877 : The first rubber seedlings came to the gardens from Kew in 1877. Henry Nicholas Ridley, or Mad Ridley as he was known, became director of the gardens in 1878 and spearheaded rubber cultivation. The gardens in 1880; Credit : Vis Credit : Gardens in the Istana, National Parks. Below postcard shows the Botanic Garden Entrance in 1900 at the Singapore Philatelic Museum; Credit : Singapore Philatelic Museum Note the postage stamp on the postcard was probably from 1912 to 1923 Straits Settlement period though. Many photos or postcard like to show the entrance of Botanic Garden, and it’s interesting to see the changes over time. Another postcard showing the entrance to the Botanic Gardens in 1900; Credit : Nation Best Here is one postcard that I have 100 years ago in 1909; One more postcard from 1909; If you will to take note of all these postcards, the name of the garden was Singapore Botanical Garden instead of Singapore Botanic Garden. I remember this was the name I used to call in my younger days. - 1925 : Professor Eric Holttum, Director of the Gardens from 1925 -1949, set up laboratories and conducted the first experiments in orchid breeding and hybridisation. His techniques led to Singapore being one of the world’s top centres of commercial orchid growing. - 1942 to 1945 : During the Japanese Occupation, Hidezo Tanakadate, a professor of Geology from the Tohoku Imperial University took over control of the Singapore the Singapore Botanic Gardens. He ensured no looting occured during his tenure in the Gardens. The Gardens was also renamed as Shōnan Botanic Gardens (昭南植物園). Holttum and Edred John Henry Corner were interned in the Gardens and instructed to continue their horticultural work. Dr Kwan Koriba, a retired professor of botany from the Imperial University of Tokyo, arrived as Director of the Gardens, a post he held until the end of the war. After the war, the Gardens was handed back to the British. Eventually it played an important role during the “greening Singapore” campaign and Garden City campaign during the early independence years. - Mid 1960s : The Gradens was taking a leading role in the greening of Singapore. I had my first visit to the Botanic Gardens with my godsisters in 1968; - 1973 : In 1973, it merged with the Parks and Trees branch of the Public Works Department, which became the Parks and Recreation Department. - 1990 : In June 1990, the Singapore Botanic Garden came under the management of the newly formed National Parks Board. New attractions, such as the Ginger Garden, Evolution Garden, Coolhouse and the Children’s Garden are being added to keep the Gardens relevant as a key tourist destination. Stamps of the Singapore Botanic Gardens; 1978 : In my memory the first stamp of the Singapore Botanic Garden was issued in 1978; The above stamps did not really show the Botanic Garden well. It’s just some graphic representation of the garden. But at least the 75cents stamp showed part of the gardens’ Bandstand. 1979 : In 1979, a set of 3 stamps were issued to celebrate the 120 years of Singapore Botanic Garden; These are very nice set as the garden were properly shown on the stamps; 2003 : In 2003, again the Bandstand was featured in one of the set of 4 stamps ‘Garden City’ ; 2009 : For those that have missed the above stamps issues, never mind. In June 2009 there will be a set of 4 stamps commemorating the 150 years of Singapore Botanic Gardens; Entrance to the Gardens : The new look of the Entrance to the Gardens now; The above is the main entrance gate known as the Tanglin Gate of the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Do you notice the changes compared to those old postcards? Do you think the 4 pillars are the same as the 4 pillars of the past entrance? The Bandstand : This is another main icon of the Singapore Botanic Gardens besides the Tanglin Gate; This octagonal shaped Bandstand was erected in 1930, almost 80 years old. The original bandstand was erected in the early 1860s as a focal point of the original landscape design of the Gardens. So far, most photos only showed the current Bandstand but not the original one. Wonder how the original one looks like? The Bandstand now no longer hosts any music performance, though it was used for military band performance in the past. That Tembusu Tree : Ok I’m not a botanist so even if I’m in front of this Tembusu Tree, I may not be able to identify it hehe. This Tembusu Tree got popular probably because it was featured in our $5 note. This tree was also featured in one of those TV8 Mediacorps Chinese dramas. And comparing it with our $5 note; This Tembusu Tree is now a heritage tree, meaning it cannot be ‘chop off’. Credit : Above 3 photos from Alice. The Old Taman Serasi Hawker Centre : Before I end the post, do you still remember My last visit with my family to the Botanical Garden or Botanic Gardens was a few years back but all my photos were wiped off from my harddisk corruption… Yes in my last visit, think we need to pay an entrance fee and no longer free like in the past. So when was your last visit to the Botanic Gardens? Guess Where Quiz No.2? This is the second Guess Where Quiz in my blog. This time maybe not so easy as compared to the first. Any idea where is this place or location? You have to give me the name of this place. This photo was taken in 1968 together with my godsisters. I was only 6 years old then. Also take note of the fashion of the 60s. From Amusement Park To Cement Park Probably some youngster find the word “Gay World” amusing like someone posted in the STOMP site regarding the Gay World Hotel. I’m surprised that there are still people not aware of the Gay World existence in Singapore. Of course Gay World is short for Gay World Amusement Park, one of the 3 main Amusement Parks in Singapore. You have probably read about my post on New World Amusement Park. Gay World Amusement Park was originally known as Happy World Amusement Park in the 30s. Happy World was the last one to be built in 1936 after Great World (1932) and New World (1923). How Happy World looked like in the 50s; You can even see the British Flag then in the above photo. Let’s take a look at Happy World Amusement Park over the years; 1936: The Happy World Amusement Park, commonly known as 快乐世界 by the locals, was founded by George Lee Geok Eng (of George Lee Motors fame), brother of philanthropist Lee Kong Chian. He invested $350,000 to open this amusement park then in 1936. It was a form of nightlife entertainment where East meet West, located at the junction of Geylang and Mountbatten roads. You will normally find cabaret performances, ronggeng, movies, gaming and arcades, wayang and cultural shows and even trade shows in this amusement park. It was one of those must visit places for courting couples in the 50s, 60s and 70s. Like New World, those unforgettable places of visits include dance hall where one could have a dance with taxi girls for probably twenty cents, and the popular ghost train ride; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS 1939: The Happy World Amusement Park was used for the Singapore’s first trade show – The Engineering and Trade Exhibition. 1941: A 1941 Japanese Map showing the Happy World location between Geylang Road and Grove Road (now known as Mountbatten Road); Credit : Lim Shao Bin 2004 Photos of Singapore The Straits Chinese China Relief Fund Committee of Singapore organised a modernised bangsawan (a traditional Malay opera)  for 3,000 babas and nyonya in Happy World, to raise funds for China war effort leading to WWII. 1942 to 1945: Even during the Japanese air-raids hit Singapore in January 1942, business at Happy World continued, and the cabaret had blackout dances (with no lights) to escape the Japanese bombings. Of course this has nothing to do with the recent Earth Hour haha! The Japanese also turned the Happy World into gambling den. As these dens were precluded from raids, the bright lights at the Happy World continued.   The Japanese were not allowed in the gambling dens but they could patronise the cabarets and nightclubs in the Happy World.  The gambling dens were closed after Japanese surrendered in 1945. The Happy World was also used as a military workshop during the Japanese Occupation. 1950s to 1960s: After the war, the amusement park continued to operate. But what I remember best about the Happy World was the frequent fire broke out in the park. In 1962, fire broke out twice in 2 months, destroying the theatre, part of the cabaret and 26 stalls. In fact, more blazes happened in 1972, 1976, 1977 and 1988. Stalls were burnt in 1958 at Happy World; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Mr.Sin Ma Chai, those elderly Cantonese will know who he is, performed at the Happy World in 1963; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS 1966: The Gay World; The Happy World was renamed as Gay World Amusement Park (繁華世界) in 1966. The word “Gay” here means “joyful”, “carefree”, “bright and showy” and only until probably later, it means “homosexuality”. Some of the main tenants were Eng Wah Organisation, Datoh Rajah Theatre and Cabaret, Tai Thong Restaurant and New Happy Cinema. By the way, the park used to have 4 cinemas, including one open-air one – Happy Theatre, Silver City and the open-air Victory Theatre. Do you remember the other one? Sin Wah Emporium, later became part of Emporium Holdings, and Tai Thong Restaurant, were my only haunt there. I went to Tai Thong Restaurant for their mooncakes. The New Happy Theatre; The Gay World Amusement Park ticket; Credit : The Straits Times. Way before the National Indoor Stadium was built, the Gay World Stadium was once the greatest covered stadium in SEA. This octagonal shaped stadium built for boxing and other sports could seat 7,000. The Gay World Stadium was later renamed as Geylang Indoor Stadium. It was even the venue for Malaya’s first badminton Thomas Cup in 1952. The Gay World Stadium; In 1973, the Gay World Stadium was one of the venues for the SEAP games. Boxing and wrestling fights were the popular sports held there and most paid only20 cents to see wrestlers like Tiger Ahmad and King Kong in the ring. The Gay World Stadium also held circus shows occasionally. 1980s: Even with free admission to the park, it did not attract enough visitors. The park was badly maintained and rats were seen running about. Only 1 of the 4 cinemas remained and probably only screening Tamil shows. 2000s: By 2000, the Gay World was in an abandoned state. There was no power or water supplied, and only about 40 tenants carried on business using portable generators. The last days of Gay World; In 2001, the bulldozers came and the Gay World and the Geylang Indoor Stadium were demolished. The site was zoned for residential development,  however, this does not material even till now. In 2004, the Nicoll Highway collapse sent one of the 2 concrete making plants there working non-stop. Today, the two concrete-making plants and the Deep Tunnel Sewerage System site office are located there. I’ve always wondered with 3 amusement parks in the past, why can’t we accommodate the last amusement park at Geylang – The Gay World Amusement Park and the Gay World Stadium (or Geylang Indoor Stadium). Why must we keep demolishing all these nostalgia amusement park in Singapore just for residential and commercial development? A 1956 City Map showing the Happy World Park; Credit : Singapore Improvement Trust, Survey Department A 1976 Chinese Edition Street Directory showing the Gay World Park; A 1988 Edition Street Directory showing the Gay World Park and the Geylang Indoor Stadium; A 1998 Edition Street Directory showing the Gay World Park and Gay World Hotel: Credit : Chief Surveyor, Survey Department, Ministry of Law. The aerial view of the Happy World Park and the octagon shaped Stadium in the 50s; Credit : Editions Didier Millet, National Archives of Singapore Now the Geylang Indoor Stadium no longer exists though the name still remains at the Google Map; View Larger Map The bus stop now stands in front of the old Gay World entrance; The fence up area and those trees inside make the Gay World Park disappears from one memory. The Cement Plant in the old Gay World Park as seen from the Geylang Road; Another view of the Cement Plant as seen from Mountbatten Road; The Cement Trucks queuing up along the Geylang Drive; Credits : All photos above gothere.sg Guess Where Quiz No.1? This is the first of Guess Where series in this blog, so I will make it easy for you. The photo was taken in late 90s and this background of the photo may not be around or probably not the same anymore now. In fact, the background has been around for many years. Of course one of kids below is my son when he was in the childcare centre, and it was one of those excursion trip. So guess where exactly was this photo taken? Note : I may not be able to update new post for the next 1 to 2 weeks due to Main PC ugrading programme hehe. About Old Photo Studios When I was browsing through some old envelopes at my parents home, I came across 2 old photo studios envelopes. Nothing special it seem, but on closer look – I find that most photo studios at that time like to emphasize on “air conditioned”. Looking at the postal code and telephone numbers on the envelopes, we can guess that it should be around 80s. The Golden Studio should be after 1985 since the telephone number is 7 digit while Serangoon Broadway should be between 1979 to 1984, as the telephone number is 6 digit (before 1985) and the postal code is 4 digit (after 1979). So I belived it should be early 80s or late 70s where photo studios started to have air conditioned in their setup. So they emphasized on the word ‘air-conditioned’ as maybe it was rare to have aircon at that time. The other thing I remember about those old photo studios are the display photos they showed at their window outside their shop. Below shows a photo studio window display in 1982; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS At that time, I think oval-shaped photo were very popular and also maybe people like to have their photos imprinted on plates too. Also touching up of photos are usually manually by paint brush ; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS My Memories Of Geylang Serai - Singapura Cinema This Singapura Cinema was there when my family first shifted in to the flats at Haig Road in the mid 70s. I’m wondering when was this cinema built. During one of my post in my other blog “Images Of Singapore”, Philip Chew told me that the Singapura Cinema was previously known as Taj Cinema. Finally found one photo of the Taj Cinema in 1963; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS How it looks like now in 2008 from slightly the same view; Below shows the artist’s impression of the Geylang Serai Redevelopment Plan probably in the 60s; Credit : National Archives, Singapore 1986. From book : Geylang Serai – Down Memory Lane. And this is how the aerial view looks now in 2008 with the rebuilding of the 5 blocks; Do you still remember the bus station before the Block 2 was built? Credit : Chief Surveyor, Survey Department, Ministry of Law. 1988 Singapore Street Directory. The name Singapura Cinema sounds so “National” and big like Plaza Singapura. Probably the name “Singapura” is a bit misleading here for this cinema. It is neither big nor grand but still, it’s an icon of Geylang Serai. When the government redeveloped Geylang Serai in the 60s, the first phase of flats was completed in 1965. The government added facilities like mosque, a theatre and a vocational institute to meet the needs of the residents there. That theatre was the Taj Theatre or Cinema. A check at the National Archives show building plans were submitted by Shaw for the Taj Cinema in 1965 to be built at Jalan Turi / Changi Road.  The Taj Cinema was a prominent landmark there and was renowned for showing Malay classics or Hindustani movies with Malay subtitles. Too bad there isn’t any photos showing the Taj Cinema in the 60s. In the 70s, saw the emergence of cinemas like the Singapura , President, Savoy, Liberty, Republic, Woodlands and Changi. Singapura in Geyang Serai (probably renamed from Taj Cinema at this time) still showed Malay, Tamil and Hindustani films. Below shows the aerial view photo of the Singapura Cinema probably taken in the 70s from the Block 1; Credit : Kampong Ubi CCC, From book : The Heart Of Geylang Serai. The spiral staircase can only be visible from the back view. This is how the back view of the Singapura Cinema look like now in 2008; I remember there used to be a McDonald outlet at this cinema some years back when the cinema was not in operation as shown below; Credit : Kampong Ubi CCC, From book : The Heart Of Geylang Serai. Now the cinema was not in operation for quite some time and the McDonald outlet was gone too. There is an eatery, a PUB/KTC outlet and some other shops; Luckily the Singapura Cinema was left untouched during the recent SER (Selective En-Bloc from Block 1 to 5) on this part of Geylang Serai, else we will have one less heritage icon. Singapore Conference Hall 新加坡大会堂 This 43 years old Singapore Conference Hall is probably the first to be built in Shenton Way. Completed in 1965 at a cost of S$4miliion at that time! It was built to house the Singapore Conference Hall and the National Trade Union Congress. Now it’s the home to the Singapore Chinese Orchestra since 2001. Credit : Ministry of Law, Chief Surveyor This is really a multi-purpose building for conferences, performances, exhibitions. There was even a famous Chinese Restaurant in it and my Godfather usually brought us there for morning dim sum on Sunday. Do you know that the design of this Singapore Conference Hall was selected from a nation-wide Open Competition in 1961? Below shows the scale model of the Singapore Conference Hall in 1962; Still undergoing construction in 1964; Credit : PICAS, National Archives of Singapore. Credit : Ministry of Culture, The Straits Times (1966) Below shows the guest at the opening of the Singapore Conference Hall in October 1965. Note the Malay word “Dewan Persidangan Singapura”, which means “Singapore Conference Hall”. “Persidangan” is “Conference” and “Dewan” is “Hall”. Though we have already gained independence from Malaysia at that time, this building still bear the National Language in the front of the building. Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Now let’s take a look at the Shenton Way in the 50s-60s before the construction of the Singapore Conference Hall; Credit : Delcampe.net This one below shows the Shenton Way after the completion of the Singapore Conference Hall; Credit : Delcampe.net The aerial view of the Singapore Conference Hall in 2006; Credit : Rafflescity Lost Islands Of The Singapore River - Part 2 …continued from Part 1 Sorry for the delay in Part 2 due to my poor health for the past few weeks. It will be interesting to note the differences when we compared the old map of Singapore River with the current one. There seems to be more sources and the river seems longer in the past. The area around and along the Singapore River was swampy and muddy even before the colonial times. This can be seen from most old maps of the Singapore River. Credit : The Singapore River, A Social History 1819 – 2002, Stephen Dodds, Singapore University Press As you can see from the above map, there were many sources of the river. Some seem to be at the foot of Fort Canning Hill (known as Bukit Larangan in the past), and Pearl’s Hill (known as Mt. Stamford in the past). Also from the above map, you will note that the areas near the Singapore River were mainly marsh (a marsh is a wetland submerged by water). Let’s start with Area 1 (from the above map); As shown above, this Area 1(island) is prone to flooding at the South Bank. What I’ve read was that the Area 1 at South Bank was raised and the marsh behind filled to overcome the flooding. This should be around 1822. So maps after 1822 may not show this island Area 1, I think so. Area 2; Credit : The Singapore River, A Social History 1819 – 2002, Stephen Dodds, Singapore University Press From 1869, the area above Coleman Bridge were filled up to prevent flood and thus more godowns were built. As such, pollution of the river was another problem to be fixed from 1870 to 1970. Before 1860, most commercial activities were below Elgin Bridge and seldom up to Coleman Bridge and above. Area 3; This is the triangular shaped Pulau Saigon which Victor ever mentioned in the comments in my previous post. In Chinese, it’s called 浮罗西贡. Before I proceed on, I would like to highlight why sometimes it’s called “Pulau Saigon” while in some street directories, you see “Pulo Saigon”. Javanese called “Pulo“, while Indonesian called “Pulau“, both mean Island. I have always wonder why it is called “Saigon”? Anyone has any idea? Frankly even during my early visits to the Singapore River in the late 60s or early 70s, I don’t remember seeing any Pulau Saigon. Maybe I was too young to remember it…Peter, Chun See or Victor may have some memories of it. When I took a look at my old Singapore Street Directory (the early 70s Chinese edition), the only thing I can find is the Pulau Saigon Road. You can find a footbridge to the north of this road. The original Pulau Saigon Bridge was built in 1890, but demolished in 1986. The reason for the demolition was that the Bridge was too old and it blocked the development of Central Expressway. Pulau Saigon Bridge was also called Footbridge because the completion of Clemenceau Bridge in 1922 forestalled any need of developing it further and its status as a pedestrian bridge was maintained. The map below shows 2 bridges connected to the Pulau Saigon island; Credit : Old map from Cornell Education. A new Pulau Saigon Bridge was constructed near the former location of the original Pulau Saigon Island as an extension of Saiboo Street. Before reclamation works merged the Pulau Saigon Island with the south bank of the river, there used to be two bridges which connected the island to both river banks. Both bridges were demolished by 1986. – BY National Heritage Board Credit : Chief Surveyor, Survey Dept. Ministry of Law This is how the Pulau Saigon looked like in 1900; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Below shows the Pulau Saigon Bridge; Credit : National Heritage Board Take a look at the Pulau Saigon Bridge in 1974; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Here is another photo of the Pulau Saigon Bridge which is also the Bridge No.1 from the Chinese Newspaper in 1985; Credit : Nanyang Sinchou, Chinese Newspaper, 15 Dec 1985 This Pulau Saigon Bridge was also known as Butcher Bridge as there was a butcher staying nearby. This was also mentioned in the Straits Times 1985 copy; Credit : The Straits Times, 30 Sep 1985 So from the above, I believed that the Pulau Saigon Bridge was still around in the 80s. Peter may remeber something about the old railway track via this Pulau Saigon island. But that railway track bridge is another bridge, not the same Pulau Saigon Bridge as show below; Sources : Singapore Railways History The railway joined on the same footbridge No.2 though but not on the footbridge No.1. So what happen to Pulau Saigon Bridge now? Is it still around? The Pulau Saigon Bridge is now a Vehicular Bridge, completed in June 1997, linking Havelock Road to Robertson Quay; Credit : URA Credit : Sengkang (nickname) Before I end, here is another view of the Pulau Saigon in the 80s; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS It seems the area around Singapore River has changed tremendously and whether there were islands or islets at the Singapore River before, is no longer important now..or maybe long forgotten… Lost Islands Of The Singapore River - Part 1 When I was sorting out my stamp album, I came across this “Old Maps Of Singapore” collection; And among these 4 stamps, I’m most interested in the 60cents Singapore River area stamp; You can see the red arrow pointing at the darkened triangle “island”. Is that really an island? Even when I used a magnifying glass, I really can’t tell. The map in this stamp was reproduced from the 1862 Jules Michael Moniot map as shown below; Credit : Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, NUS You can see the same darkened triangle island on that map too. So are there other islands along the Singapore River too? The river had changed over it’s shape, length and appearance over time. Let us take a look at some very old maps of the Singapore River. 1819 : Credit : Belly of the Carp by Roger Vaughan Jenkins This is probably the earliest map of the Singapore River I’ve come across. This part of the Singapore River is known as the “Belly of the Carp” as it probably looks like it. This is a very simple map but as we know, early maps are not so accurate due to lack of technology. Below is another 1819 map from the book “The Singapore River, A Social History 1819 – 2002″ by Stephen Dobbs, Singapore University Press; Credit : The Singapore River, A Social History 1819 – 2002, Singapore University Press, NUS Publishing The above map shows a lightly shaded part known as “Kuala Bank” (River Mouth Bank) at the mouth of the Singapore River. 1822 : Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS The above is the town map which shows an “island” at the mouth of the Singapore River. This is represented by the dotted lines at the previous “Belly of the Carp” location. This map is probably from the Raffles Town Map. 1825 : The above map doesn’t show any “islands” at all. I don’t remember where I got this map from, sorry if I left out the credit for this. 1828 : Credit : Singapore : A Pictorial History 1819 to 2000 by Gretchen Liu This is probably the well know Raffles Town Plan map by Lt. Philip Jackson. From this plan, you can see those dotted lines showing like an “island” at the mouth of the Singapore River. So what is the dotted line “island” shown on some old maps (but not all)? Is that really an island? Why is it missing from the river now? I checked with a map enthusiast Mok Ly Yng and he told me it is not an island but a sandbar. What’s a sandbar? I didn’t learn that in my Geography lesson or I’ve forgotten about it haha. Thanks to Ly Yng, he explained that to me in his email clearly; “Island’ no. 1 is actually a sand bar, this is indicated by the use of dotted lines for the boundary in the 1828 map and dots without a clear solid line boundary in the 1836 map. A sand bar can only be seen mostly during low tides and is usually not permanent in shape or size. This sand bar was removed by dredging sometime by the 1840s when the famous ‘Singapore Stone’ was removed too. I do not have a definite date or reference for this. Just an educated guess. That was part of the improvement plan for navigation in Singapore River. Dredging in Singapore River continued until the river was converted into its present state. Due to Singapore’s elevation and the volume of water in the river, sand deposit very easily at the mouth, forming obstacles for navigation. I do not know of any record of this sand bar’s name.” Credit : Mok Ly Yng’s Public Gallery of Old Maps 1869 : Credit : The Singapore River, A Social History 1819 – 2002, Singapore University Press, NUS Publishing Another reason for the sandbar is stated in the book “The Singapore River, A Social History 1819 – 2002″ by Stephen Dobbs mentioned earlier. In his book it was mentioned that in late 1822, a considerable amount of sand had built up around the mouth of the Singapore River due to the construction of the jetties on the North Boat Quay side. Those structures were interfering with the natural course of the river thus resulted in the silt near its river mouth.From the book, we understand that many dredges were put at the river to remove the silt but not really successful. At least I learned something new despite my age – “sandbar”. I’ve never like Geography when I was young, so probably I was sleeping when my teacher was teaching about it or …. Guess this sandbar is completely removed from the mouth of the Singapore River by now. Update from Mr.Mok Ly Yng (dated 4 Jun 2008); “Dear Laokokok, I have read your post on the islands of Singapore River. Sandbar (now apparently written as one single word) is also known as a ’sandbank’ (now also as one word). Perhaps it could have been a ‘mudbank’ then. It all depends on the type of sediment that was deposited there and then. The type of sediment is very much dependent on the type of rock or geological environment through which the river passes through upriver. This includes the main course plus any tributaries that feed into the main river. ‘White sand’ was observed at the Bugis area, hence the Chinese name of ‘White Sand Float(ing)’. Scientists have very precise definitions for ’sand’, ‘mud’ and ’silt’ etc. I don’t have a geology map of Singapore handy with me. But the dredging is to remove any obstacles to shipping, it is not necessarily a reflection of the muddiness of the river at that time. Again this is educated speculation without knowing the dominant material that made up the river bed of the Singapore river near the mouth, and the sea bottom material at the mouth of the river. The tidal forces could also flush the river, but that depends on the strength of the tides. A combination of these factors could turn the water near the river mouth rather murky or turbid. Thanks for the post and the interesting links to other maps. Best regards, Ly Yng” I will talk about the other islands in my next part. 80 Years Old Fullerton Building I was officially introduced to this Grand Old Dame when I was in Primary 3 (1971). I’m talking about the Fullerton Building and the Chapter on “A Bus-tour of our City” from the History book “The Pioneering Years”; The top left corner shows the General Post Office which was the Fullerton Building at that time; Closer view; Above credit : Credit : Educational Publication Bureau, MOE, Singapore In Primary 4, I was again introduced to it now from my Geography Book (Social Studies); From the sea view; From another page; Above credit : McGraw-Hill Far Eastern Publishers (S) Ltd From the past till now, It’s difficult to find a complete history write up of this Fullerton Building in our school textbook. It’s always a bit here and a bit there. Maybe we should ….. anyway below is a bit of the history on Fullerton Building and Fullerton Square. Before Fullerton Building was built; - 1829 : That year, Sir Robert Fullerton (first governor of the Straits Settlement of Singapore) built the Fort Fullerton at the mouth of Singapore River to defend the harbour and warehouses. The Fort was built with Artillery Barracks, a house for the officers and barracks for soldiers. On Battery Point, 68-pounder guns guarded the entrance to the River. The site it was located was now known as Fullerton Square. Above shows a 1825 map. The Rocky Point was the site where the Fort Fullerton was built. It was then known as Battery or Artillery Point. The Singapore Stone was also found there. - 1843 : The Singapore Stone (the monolith, a very large standing Sandstone about 3M height and width, with lines of inscription founded soon after the arrival of Raffles) located at the mouth of the Singapore River, was destroyed by the British to extend the Fort Fullerton. Below shows a fragment of the Singapore Stone; Credit : Curriculum Planning & Development Division, MOE, Singapore - 1854 : The Fort Fullerton was expanded by Captain Collyer. By 1859, it was expanded by nearly 3 times its original size and at a cost of $840,000. The fort was demolished in 11 June 1873. - 1876 : On this site, the first General Post Office was built. The first POSB was established here. Below shows the first General Post Office building in the 19th century; - 1879 : On the same site the Exchange Building was built besides the first General Post Office. opened in 1879, and was replaced by Fullerton Building in 1928. - 1882 : A Victorian-styled fountain was built in Fullerton Square to commemorate the influential merchant Tan Kim Seng’s donation to the City’s Waterworks. In 1925, this fountain was moved to the Esplanade and the space vacant became a car park which was also the venue for many election rallies in the past. Many important buildings also then built around this Fullerton Square. Below shows the first General Post Office, the Exchange and the Tan Kim Seng fountain in 1885; Another postcard showing the General Post Office in 1900; A 1910 postcard of the General Post Office; - 1923 to 1924 : The Exchange Building was demolished. After the Fullerton Building was built; - 1925 to 1928 : The construction of the Fullerton Building began. During the initial groundwork, excavations revealed the gun casements of the old Fort Fullerton. In fact, the Fullerton Building was built over reclaimed land. This Neo-classical architecture was originally built to house the General Post Office. 2 tablets, one on each side of the entrance stairway reveals that the construction work began on February 1924, and the building was completed in June 1928. The building cost was estimated at S$4,098,808, but The Straits Times of 27 June 1928, quoted the cost of S$4,750,000, as the eventual bill. A 1928 postcard showing the Fullerton Building; Another view of the Fullerton Building in 1929; - 1928 : The General Post Office moved in 2 weeks after the completion of the Fullerton Building. The GPO used the basement and two lower floors as sorting rooms, postal halls and offices. It utilized the waterfront along Collyer Quay to transport the post onto ships. A historic tunnel under Fullerton Road was used to load the mail onto waiting ships, bound for the world. The tunnel still exists today. Other Tenants; - The Singapore Chamber of Commerce was the first tenant to move in. Here were the headquarters of the international trade organization. - The Singapore Club occupied the upper floors of the building. The Club’s 6,968 sq. m (75,000 sq. feet) of facilities included dining rooms, club rooms, billiards and card rooms, and, sleeping accommodation on the upper floors. - The other early occupants of Fullerton Building included The Exchange and Chamber of Commerce. Government Office Tenants; - Other early Government Office tenants included the Marine Surveyor and Marine Department, Imports and Export Department, and the offices of Chief Health Officer, the Government Vetinerary Surgeon, Agriculture, Fisheries and Forest departments. Other departments of the Ministry of Finance were also based here. A 1930s photo of the General Post Office besides the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank; A 1935 photo of the General Post Office. Note the British Crown above the word General Post Office; - 1942 : During the war, Governor Shenton Thomas and Lady Thomas stayed in the sleeping quarters in when the Government House (now the Istana) was hit by artillery and aerial attacks. During the last days before the British surrender of Singapore to the Japanese in 1942, the building was used as a hospital with make-shift operation rooms to treat British soldiers. Below shows the Japanese soldiers marching in at Fullerton Square in 1942; Above photo credit : Imperial War Museum During the Japanese Occupation, Fullerton Building was the headquarters of the Japanese Military Administration. Singaporeans may remember that the Japanese demanded $50 million from the Chinese in Singapore and Malaya in atonement for the crimes committed by Chinese people against the Japanese. A cheque for $50 million was handed to Lieut-General Tomoyuki Yamashita at a ceremony in the Singapore Club at the top of Fullerton Building sometime in February 1942. - 1950s : Since the 1950s, Fullerton Square has been the site of many election campaign rallies. 1950s was the decade with the most riots and strikes in Singapore. Below shows the aerial photo of the Fullerton Building in the 1950s. Did you see the lighthouse on the building? Above photo credit : Editions Didier Millet, National Archivers of Singapore - 1958 : A lighthouse was installed on the rooftop of the Fullerton Building to guide ships out in the harbour. inactive since 1979. Round lantern with aerobeacon, originally mounted atop the Fullerton Building, which was then the General Post Office. Below shows a 1930 aerial photo of the Fullerton Building without the Lighthouse yet; Above credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Below shows a 1950s aerial photo with the Lighthouse on the Fullerton Building; Above photo credit : Editions Didier Millet, National Archivers of Singapore - 1960s : SM Goh Chok Tong used to work in this building when he was in the Economic Planning Unit of the civil service. For lunch, he was a regular at the Spartan, roof-top canteen. - 1970 to 1995 : When the General Post Office vacated the Fullerton Building, it was taken over by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore as their headquarters from 1970s to 1995. - 1996 to 1999 : All the tenants had moved out by 1996. The building was up for tender bids in early 1997, and the building was bought over by Sino Land, who spent S$400 million, for a full two-year restoration and redeveloped project which converted and transformed Fullerton Building to a 6-star hotel. - 2000 to 2001 : The Fullerton Hotel was opened on May 2000 and officially launched on 1 January 2001. Below shows the Fullerton Hotel; Interesting isn’t it? Now take a look at the Fullerton Building with it’s skyline changes over time. I will try to find photos taken from almost the same Queen Elizabeth Walk (now known as Esplanade) of the building; 1. 1905 – 1910 : View from Queen Elizabeth Walk when the Fullerton Building was not built. This is a 1976 stamp in the Art Series launched in Singapore; 2. 1930 : A photo postcard showing the then General Post Office (Fullerton Building). Note the original color of Anderson Bridge then; 3. c1935 – Probably the later part of 1930s view of the General Post Office. Note the change in color of the bridge and the background building if any; 4. 1946 : Still not much changes in the skyline; Above photo credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS 5. 1954 : One major change in this 50s photo of the Fullerton Building. The Bank Of China was built besides it as seen in the background; Above photo credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS 6. 1960S : The photo still showing only the Bank Of China besides the Fullerton Building. Note the coconut tree in the foregroud still there since 1930s haha; 7. 1970 : Even until 1970, still not much changes; Above photo credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS 8. 2003 : Guess the major changes should be started in late 70s and 80s; 9. 2007 : This one taken by myself last year; You may see the below poster on the changes in the skyline by URA; Before I end this post, let’s take a look at the construction of the Fullerton Building from 1925 to 1927; Above : 1925 – under construction. Above : 1927 – almost complete. Below is one very nice sketch of the Fullerton Building; Above credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS You may read more about Fullerton Building at Sale of Fullerton Square by URA …my apology if I left out any credits (pls let me know). Beach Road Pt.2- Shaw Tower Revisit …cont’d from Beach Road Pt.1 – NCO Club I must admit that I’ve very poor sense of direction and not only that, I’m always confused with Shaw Tower, Shaw House, Shaw Centre and Shaw Plaza… Ok for this post of course, I’m sure Shaw Tower is the one at Beach Road! Built in 1974 at Beach Road, this was probably one of the tallest building there in the 70s. 3 things I remembered very well about this Shaw Tower; - The steep slope leading into the building car park. I’ve so far parked inside this tower less than 5 times and I don’t wish to try that again. In the past, I usually used manual gear cars so it was rather difficult to do clutch control. - The 2 cinemas inside : Prince and Jade. Seen quite a number of movies at Prince than Jade. Think both the Jade and Prince were opened in 1977. Prince is the bigger cinema and both are located on different floors and parts of the building. Later they have Prince 1 and 2, Jade 1 and 2 too. Read more here. It’s still around now; - The 2 gift shops. The Jade Gift Shop still around; Used to go there to buy those items like belts, lighter, pen, etc..with brand like Dunhill, Cartier, Gucci, etc. Not too sure where is the other gift shop now but the Jade Gift Shop still around though what they sell now may be different from the past. - The mobile disco (probably named Disco World) setup by a ex-poly grad. This shop is no longer there now as the mobile disco popularity in the 70s and 80s was gone. I think I’ve not been to this Shaw Tower for at least many years or maybe 2 decades. Yes, the last time I been to inside was probably in the late 80s. I don’t know why last Saturday when I drove past there, suddenly I felt the urge to take a walk inside. Of course I didn’t park inside the building but opposite (the public car park). I am surprised that it’s no longer the same Shaw Tower that I’m familiar with. The crowd I used to see in the past also no longer there. At least found some old photos of Beach Road framed up along a passage way; Besides some old photos of Beach Road, there are some interesting ‘gems’ on display. A Punch Card Machine used by the employees to show time in and out (top left); Below shows a blue cash register and a film cutter on the right; Below shows some old cinema tickets; Portriat of Rumme Shaw; Credits : Above all – Shaw Organisation Let us take a look at the Shaw Tower in the 1988 Street Directory; Credit : Chief Surveyor, Singapore Government Now take a look at the early 70s Street Directory just before the Shaw Tower was built; You can see that the whole building was not there yet in the early 70s and the 2 old cinemas – New Alhambra Cinema and Marlborough Cinema were demolished. So is Shaw Tower built on the same location where the 2 old cinemas – New Alhambra and Marlborough Cinemas were? If we take a look at the 50s city map below, we can get the answer; Credit : Shell, Singapore Government Survey Department So it’s actually sited on both cinemas but more towards Marlborough Cinema. Note there was a side road besides Marlborough Cinema in the 50s! The New Alhambra Cinema was built in 1907 and later, the cinema was bought over by Cathay Organization and was renamed as Gala Theatre. Another cinema, Malborough Cinema, was constructed beside it. Below is how the Alhambra Cinema looked like; Photo Credit : Shaw Organisation Alhambra Cinema was nicknamed “Hai Kee” (by the sea) due to its proximity to the sea. This theatre was one of the pioneer cinema halls in the early 1930s. The Alhambra became the first Singapore cinema to have air conditioning. Below shows both the Alhambra and Marlborough Cinemas on the right; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS So when was your last visit to Shaw Tower? Sea View Hotel - Old, New & Gone I’ve only seen the ‘New’ Sea View Hotel at 26 Amber Close. Most of us are familiar with this Sea View Hotel logo at the top of the hotel building; Surprisingly I find it more difficult to find photos of this ‘New’ Sea View hotel building than the Old Sea View hotel at Meyer Road. Below is the only photo I can find on internet; For those not sure where exactly is Amber Close, here is the map; See the * on the building next to the Sea View hotel. That’s where I usually hang out in the 70s, 80s and 90s. The old Katong Yaohan there with Ikea on the second floor…then we have the old Cold Storage taking over the place there too. Shopping seems so easy and close to my house at Haig Road. Thinking back, I wonder why I liked to go shopping at Katong Yaohan and Cold Storage there even though I don’t have much to buy? Maybe just to enjoy the aircon haha. As for the hotel, I had been to the restaurant a couple of times only with my clients. In the 70s, this Sea View Hotel must be a luxury hotel too. But in it’s last decade, it’s just a 2 or 3 star hotel. So they are going to build some condos on this same site and named it ‘The Sea View’. There will be 6 blocks of 23 storeys condos. You will be surprised how fast the progress is; Photo Credit : Aaron Chong When I started to shift in together with my parents in the 70s (around 1976 when I was in Sec.2) at Haig Road, the Sea View Hotel was already there near the Amber Close. So I’ve not seen the ‘Old Sea View Hotel’ at Meyer Road. I’m sure Peter has seen it as I remember he mentioned something like ‘dome’ shaped building at Meyer Road when I posted the topic on Haw Par Villa previously. 1. Sea View Hotel in the 70s; Credit : Singapore Government, Chief Surveyor Though the Marine Parade Road and ECP still not built, the ‘New Sea View Hotel’ had already been built at the Amber Close in the 70s. So when exactly is the ‘New Sea View Hotel’ built? Let’s take a look below; - 1906 : Established Sea View Hotel at Meyer Road and owned by Reuben Manasseh Meyer - 1909 : Grove Hotel became one of its 2 annexes - 1912 to 1923 : Leased to Eleazar Johannes - 1923 to 1931 : Leased to Sarkies Brothers (operated is as Sea View Hotel and Sanatoruium, and from 1926 as Sea View Hotel) - 1931 to 1962 : Taken over by the executors of the estate of late Manasseh Meyer. Sea View Hotel Ltd became the proprietors and operated till 1962. The Peach Garden condo replaced the site occupied by the Old Sea View Hotel in 1976. - 1969 to 2003 : The New Sea View Hotel began operations at Amber Close and ceased in 2003 2. Sea View Hotel (before the major land reclamation along East Coast in Mid 70s onwards); Credit : Shell, Singapore Government Survey Department. Note the location of the Sea View Hotel in the 50s. Also a number of roads like Marine Parade and East Coast Parkway were not built before the land reclamation. Of course the shoreline was immediately after the Amber Road and Sea View Hotel really means sea view. Read more about the Old Sea View Hotel. Read about how Grove Hotel became one of the 2 annexes of Old Sea View Hotel. So the Old Sea View Hotel started off as a large colonial bungalow situated at the sea front surrounded by coconut trees. This one shows the Old Sea View Hotel circa 1900. I wonder if that was how it looked like before becoming a hotel; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Below shows the living quarters of the Old Sea View Hotel at Meyer Road; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS In 1910; Photo credit : Singapore Philatelic Museum In 1926; Photo credit : Singapore Philatelic Museum In around 1937; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS The dome-shape building of the Old Sea View Hotel; Photo Credit : Joo Chiat, A living legacy by Lily Kong and TC Chang The site of Old Sea View Hotel at Meyer Road is now occupied by Peach Garden condo; Now both the old and new Sea View Hotels are gone…and both sites are replaced by condos. Should have taken some photos of the new Sea View Hotel before it was demolished. Singapore Badminton Hall - Conserve? When I read about the news on the closing of Singapore Badminton Hall by end of January 2008, I was saddened. Credit :Straits Times, SPH The Singapore Badminton Hall (SBH) was built in 1952 and for 56 years of history, it has seen 3 major events in it. - Hosting the 1955 and 1958 Thomas Cup - Vote counting station for the 1962 merger referendum Oh though not a major event, the Rolling Stones also had a concert there in 1965; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS The National Heritage Board marked the SBH as a Historical Site due to the above 3 major events, but that does not mean it will be conserved. It’s fate probably lies with URA, let’s cross our fingers. There are 2 buildings I’m talking about along this Guillemard Road. The 1st building is the one on the right and built in 1952. This is the one and see the crowd outside the SBH in 1962 during the vote counting session; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Below you can see the same old building but with the newer one on the left; Here is another view of the 1962 scene; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Note the building behind – the Fatty Weng restaurant still not at the corner coffee shop then. See how it looks like now in 2008; The newer building on the left opened in 1986 by the late President Dr.Wee Kim Wee; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Both late President of Singapore, Mr. Ong Teng Cheong and Dr.Wee Kim Wee at the SBH in 1986; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS The same place in 2008; Well before they do any ‘face lift’ to these Singapore Badminton Hall, let’s take a final look now. Main Entrance To The Old Building; The old booth in the old building; Side view of the old building; Another view of the new building; Maybe for most of us, our trip to the Singapore Badminton Hall means going to the Fatty Weng’s restaurant or in Cantonese “Fei Chai Weng or Rong”. I’ve eaten at that restaurant there before but it’s not the best I’ve tasted frankly. Entrance to the Fatty Weng’s restaurant at the new building; Carpark entrance to the Fatty Weng’s restaurant; The sheltered carpark at the new building; And why don’t they wait till I’ve my last try at the Fatty Weng Restaurant inside there for a last time before they….. Read more about the Singapore Badminton Hall. Tay Buan Guan Entrance There seems to be some confusion regarding my previous post on Tay Buan Guan…regarding it’s entrance haha. My fellow blogger friend Peter has emailed me too that Rumah Bebe doesn’t seem to be the Tay Buan Guan entrance that fits the black and white photo I posted; Photo Credit : Portrait of Places So it’s the current Rumah Bebe shop the real entrance to Tay Buan Guan? If it’s not, then many sources have been wrong… Let’s investigate! 1. First take a look at the URA Walking Guide; Photo Credit : Oceanskies79 In the guide, it said; “Check out the origins of the former Tay Buan Guan Katong Shopping Centre • Former Tay Buan Guan Shop, now Rumah Bebe, 113 East Coast Road, Tel: 6247 8781 The faint TBG print on the shopfront of 113 East Coast Road is the only sign of its once bustling former occupant, the Tay Buan Guan shop. The Tay Buan Guan department store grew from this humble shophouse to a multi-storey shopping centre located to the rear of East Coast Road, and was one of Singapore’s best-loved shopping hubs. … …This shophouse is now known as Rumah Bebe (Bebe’s House), a Peranakan arts and crafts…..” My Point : This unit number may be the first Tay Buan Guan shop along East Coast Road that the late Mr.Tay started. From this first shop (unit 113), it grew bigger. 2. Now let’s check the National Library Board, Singapore Infopedia; - Early History …Then he rented a shophouse and opened the first Tay Buan Guan shop, a provision shop in Pennefather Road. … But after the war ended, he returned to his business with a renewed vigour, opening three shops on East Coast Road. The shops presumably did well as in 1948, he was able to purchase a piece of land bound by East Coast Road, Joo Chiat Road and Fowlie Road. He built the Tay Buan Guan Supermarket on that piece of land, the first department store in the east. … - Description The Tay Buan Guan Supermarket had a Chinese emporium, a costume jewellery shop and a pharmacy within its premises. … The Chinese emporium was called the Singapura Emporium Limited and it occupied the first floor of the 4-storey building. … - Later Developments The Tay Buan Guan Supermarket was made up of 13 freehold shophouses, some 2-storeys high, located at 83-119 (odd numbers) East Coast Road. My Point : There may be 3 shops at East Coast Road. Tay Buan Guan Supermarket was 4 storey high. 3. When I do a Google Search with Tay Buan Guan Adress, I was pointed to 83A East Coast Road. The link shows the map by Singapore Street Directory. Note the address is 83A and not 113. Unit 83 now is occupied by Greentown Audio Video (SONY products) and unit 113 is occupied by Rumah Bebe. So is Greentown Audio Video the real entrance to Tay Buan Guan Supermarket (the old photo)? My Point : So the official address of Tay Buan Guan may be 83A East Coast Road instead of 113 East Coast Road. But why 83A and not 83. Usually ‘A’ refers to the staircase entrance to upstair unit. 4. Again when you Google Search East Coast Road, the National Library Board, Singapore Infopedia shows; “Description Katong area …Popular landmarks in the 1950s and 1960s include Katong’s first supermarket, Tay Buan Guan Building and cinemas like Odeon, Palace and Roxy. …The Tay Buan Guan shopping centre were torn down in 2001 to make way for a condominium project.” My Point : So part of the properties owned by Tay Buan Guan were torn down to build a condominium. If I can find the condo, that must be part of Tay Buan Guan too. Oh no, so how big is Tay Buan Guan? Yes, unit 83 to 119! 5. Another blogger, Katong Gal, blogged about Tay Buan Guan too. “…Tay Buan Guan (also called TBG) was situated just behind the row of shophouses on East Coast Road which continues into Joo Chiat Road; it could be reached through three of the shophouses. One of these shophouses was a confectionary. … The other two shophouses had different uses – can’t remember exactly what but I do recall that for some years one was used as a thoroughfare into the main East Coast Road. Near the entrance to this particular building was a games arcade. … My Point : So there may be 2 or 3 entrance to Tay Buan Guan. One is via the carpark or the backlane. And these backlane or carpark may housed one of the Tay Buan Guan shops. The other may be via the front shophouse like unit 83 or unit 113. 6. Now what Peter said in his email; “…You see I used to park my car in TBG carpark. There were 2 carpsk, the big faced the back of the bank, this small carpark was closer to ths supermarket. Separating the carpark from the row of shops was a lane and a fence. …There were two ways to get to East Coast Road. One was through TBG Shop (”Katong Shopping Center”) where there was an Indian framemaker called Adi. The other was through a small lane sandwiched between two buildings. I usually took the side lane to get to the former Hong Kong Noddle House (enter by back door) and the Asia Commercial Bank (later became 101 Beauty and Health Center, a massage joint). All this while I thot the side lane was beside Katong Bakery; which was not the case. In fact the side lane was beside the bank (right of bdlg) which is now Sing Ho Hainanese Chicken Rice. The cobbler sat outstide the Katong Bakery. …” My Point : So this confirm that there was another entrance via the carpark and lane behind. There is a small lane between two blocks of building. Like what Peter said, that 113 unit (Rumah Bebe) may be used as an office by Tay Buan Guan. So I make a trip down to view from behind. Before that let’s take a look at the map provided by Singapore Street Directory; Click for : Singapore Map of Tay Buan Guan Shopping Centre (Demolished) 83A East Coast Road (S)428786 Streetdirectory.com : Singapore No 1 Travel Guide, Food & Singapore Florist I went in via the Onan Road and hope to find the old carpark there. But as confirmed by the above sources, the carpark was not there and part of the Tay Buan Guan properties were gone and made way for the Malvern Springs Condo; Then I went via to the backlane via the side lane between the 2 blocks of building as mentioned by Peter; Above Photo provided by Peter. I took a look at the #113 Rumah Bebe back, but it was not as high as the #83 Greentown Audio Video. Let’s take a look at the back view of this #83 unit; The Katong Bakery is just a few units from this #83 old Tay Buan Guan unit. The Katong Bakery is extended all the way back as seen in this back lane view; Now if we take a second look at the first black and white photo of the Tay Buan Guan in this post (at the top), I noticed that both pillars at the entrance were ’slanted’ or at an angle. It’s not like the rest where it’s right angle. This coincide with the ’slanted’ pillars of the #83 Greentown Audio Video too; The #113 Rumah Bebe pillars are not ’slanted’. So from all the above points, the chances of the black and white Tay Buan Guan photo matches the #83 unit are higher. Also please take note of the flooring pattern of the old Tay Buan Guan photo matches that of the #83 one (stripes type). Below is a photo of the old carpark at Tay Buan Guan; Photo Credit : National Heritage Board, Joo Chiat CCC My Old Katong Final Pt.- Other Lost Landmarks The other lost landmarks of Katong were located at the Heart of Katong – from Katong Shopping Centre to Still Road. I will just emphasize on the 4 main icons of Katong – Katong Bakery House, Tay Buan Guan, Joo Chiat Police Station and Katong People’s Complex . You can see the map below; With the old names gone and new names over its place, it’s rather difficult to find them if you are not a regular at Katong. Even I am having trouble to locate the old TBG (Tay Buan Guan). Katong Bakery House aka Red House Bakery How I missed the fragrance when walking past this bakery shop. When it was there, I don’t seem so keen to pop in as it was rather old fashion and crowded. That was many many years ago when I was still in my 20s. Located at 75 East Coast Road, the eye-catching red colored building has been an icon or landmark of Katong for many years. It was around for 78 years since 1925 to 2003. It finally came to stop when it was deemed unsafe by the authority. It is said that Katong Bakery was the first to bake a 3-tier western wedding cakes in Singapore around 1920s. This bakery was famous for its curry puff too but I’ve yet to try it before… So take a look of it in the past; Photo Credit : Portrait of Places And now how it looks (taken on 11 Jan 2008); A subsidiary of the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis), is the legal owner of the property. So it’s currently undergoing restoration works and will it be an office unit or school or remain as a F&B outlet, let’s cross our fingers. Glad to know that this icon has been conserved by the authority. Click here to learn more about this Red House Bakery. Tay Buan Guan Supermarket It was probably the first supermarket in the East set up in 1948 by Mr. Tay Leck Teck. Its business was badly affected by the newer shopping area nearby like Parkway Parade, and it finally wound up after 52 years in 2000. Photo Credit : Portrait of Places If you see the above photo, besides the name Tay Buan Guan, it also has the name Katong Shopping Centre. It housed a Chinese emporium called Singapura Emporium, a pharmacy and a costume jewellery shop. This emporium occupied the 1st floor of the 4-storey building. The ground floor and 2nd floor were other departmental stores, while the 3rd floor was roof garden. The ground floor where the supermarket located also had a milk bar. Click here to learn more about Tay Buan Guan Supermarket. The TBG was located at 113 East Coast Road, on the same stretch as the Red House Bakery. Though I’ve walked past this TBG many times, but I’ve only been to inside only a couple of times, shame right? So what has it becomes now? It has turned into a shop called “Rumah Bebe”, a Peranakan Heritage Home; But is the structure still the same from afar; Doesn’t look quite the same right? Though there is a year 1928 on the front, but how can we confirm that it was previously the TBG building? Let’s examine some ‘tell-tale’ signs left behind; There are 2 TBG logos left behind on the 2 side pillars. The rest of the wall tiles and floor tiles, I’m not too sure if they are from the past; The trishaw above seems to be part of the shop decoration. Now that the TBG was gone, I yearn to go in…are you like me haha? Joo Chiat Police Station Of course it’s one of those places that I don’t wish to go in. I have walked past it and also parked my car on the side road besides it when I wanted to visit that DBS bank there. The DBS bank was located at this GRTH No.66 Building; On the left of this side road, is the old Joo Chiat Police Station now called the Katong Village or Hong Kong Tea House; Take a look below when it was still a police station; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS So how old is this Joo Chiat Police Station building? Probably as old as the TBG building, about 80 years old. So when did this police station cease to be one? Maybe in 1980s if I’m not wrong. Katong People’s Complex Before I end this Old Katong episode, do you know what comes before Katong Mall? Many may have forgotten the former Katong People’s Complex (not to be confused with People’s Park Complex though same developer) – the shopping complex with steel structure and gigantic pipes at the exterior. Some said the pipes constituted to the bad fengshui. Built in 1983 and aka ‘prison with pipes’ back then, the building was struggling with poor business and in 1994, a woman was shot by an unknown gunman. Now take a look at this Katong People’s Complex in 1990; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singaore, PICAS Then what’s on this site before Katong People’s Complex? If you take a look at the 1970s Singapore Street Directory, you may find that it’s actually a market before this complex! This market was previously from the now Hock Ann Eating House site. Where is this market now…somehow it has now shifted to Marine Parade. Read more about Katong; - Katong History - Rediscover Katong/ Joo Chiat My Old Katong Pt.2 - Roxy And Palace …cont’d from Pt.1 I’m talking about the old Roxy and Palace Theatre…funny right…they used to call it theatre instead of cinema. These 2 theatres are located along the same East Coast Road on the same side but opposite to the Odeon Katong Theatre. Both theatres are demolished. If we walked along East Coast Road from Katong Shopping Centre to Still Road, this stretch was known as ‘The Roxy Area’. It was also the traditional ‘Heart of Katong’. From this, what can see how popular is the Roxy Theatre back in the 50s and 60s. Take a good look at how the ‘landmarks’ changed its look over time… sad to say I’ve not been to any of these 2 theatres for a show but only passed by. Roxy Theatre This old theatre was there before World War 2 and much much older than me. Let’s check out some old photos; Credit : Fairypoint When I see the above photo, I doubt it’s Roxy Cinema in Singapore as it looked totally different. If it was then it must be very very long ago. Sad to say there isn’t much photos of the old Roxy in Katong. Luckily after searching for sometime, I managed to find another old photo which resembles the above; Credit : Donor N Lloyd, Australian Was Memorial The above shows the Roxy Theatre circa 1945. Read more about Roxy Theatre here. When the Roxy Theatre was demolished, I’m not sure. The land now is occupied by Katong Plaza / Roxy Square and the back portion of the land is Grand Mercure Roxy hotel. Take a look now and you cannot never visualise how the old Roxy Theatre sits in there. Palace Theatre This is another old theatre along the East Coast Road which is demolished now. Take a look below see how it looks like in 1960; Credit : National Archives of Singapore , PICAS You are still able to see the theatre in 1990 as shown in the photo taken from Ceylon Road ; Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Understand that this theatre in her later years was used more for live performances. Probably in the 90s, the name of the theatre was also changed to Paradise Theatre. Below shows the Paradise Theatre in 1994; Creadit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS The theatre was demolished and now a Eastgate building in its place; These 2 theatres Roxy and Palace were separated by a road called Brooke Road. My Old Katong Pt.1 - Katong Shopping Centre And Odeon Katong Let me wish all friends here a Happy 2008 New Year before I begin my first post for this year. Katong Shopping Centre; So when was it built? Yes, 35 years ago, opened in 1973, it was one of the nearest shopping centres from my home in Haig Road back then. I loved to visit there during Saturday especially after my NCC Air ECA (now known as CCA) at the Haig Road Camp. When my dad bought a 5rm flat at Haig Road in the early 70s, I was so happy as it was within walking distance to so many shopping area there like Katong Shopping Centre, City Plaza, Tanjong Katong Complex, Parkway Parade – of course some were built later. This 35 years old shopping centre used to be full of textiles and shoes shops in the early days. The popular Oriental Emporium was located at one corner occupying 2 floors. It was fun shopping there especially before the Chinese New Year. Below is how it looked like in 1994; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Now the whole place especially the basement and ground floor, are full of eatery shops. But I must said some of the eateries shops served value for money food. The good old Oriental Emporium, and many textiles and shoes shops were gone… This used to be a good place to know some Tanjong Katong Girls School students haha. Luckily this old shopping centre still retains its old look and not much of a makeover like most other shopping mall. The main structural change is probably the addition of a lift at the corner near the Haig Road. This is how it looks now(photo taken Dec 2007); The eateries at the basement; Somehow as I’m very much older now, this shopping centre seems to have ’shrink’; Odeon Katong Shopping Complex; I wonder how many still remember the old Odeon Katong Theatre (Cinema) here before this Odeon Katong Shopping Complex was built? For how long the old Odeon Katong Theatre was here, I really don’t know. If I will to base on the 1988 Edition of Singapore Street Directory, it was still here in 1988. However the 1998 Edition of the Singapore Street Directory, it shows Odeon Katong Shopping Complex instead. So it must be between 1988 to 1998 that there was a makeover. This is the old Odeon Katong Theatre in 1960; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Frankly I’m not too sure if there is a mix-up of dates as I recall that in the early 80s, the new Odeon Katong seems to be there already. During the Chinese New Year, I remember I went up to the cinema by escalator to book 3 days advance tickets for a movie. It was a norm to book advance tickets up to 3 days and usually the queue was extremely long during the Chinese New Year period. Haha, maybe I’ve got the years wrong myself….anyway… Here is the 1994 look of the Odeon Katong Shopping Complex; And the updated look in 2007 below; I didn’t realise that the cinemas inside were gone…until I dropped by last month. See what the whole building becomes; Can’t see…haha…let me tell you: 80% of the building occupied by Cornerstone Community Church! In fact, a number of old cinemas in Singapore have been converted to Church. Here is the escalator leading to the old Odeon Katong cinema; There is some changes to the road when the Odeon Katong Shopping Centre was built. Before the Odeon Katong Shopping Centre was built, the Mugliston Road was terminated before the canal at the Katong Shopping Centre Carpark Entrance; Now after the Odeon Katong Shopping Complex was built, the Mugliston Rd was extended below the building and joined with the Ean Kiam Place; I don’t know how long these 2 buildings will last especially the Katong Shopping Centre. Those old buildings surrounding are going and gone one by one… to be continued in Pt.2… Merdeka Bridge (独立桥) My dad always mentioned to me a certain place near 独立桥, and I stopped to ponder for a short while – where is this 独立桥..or Merdeka Bridge. Not many people nowadays talk about this Bridge. It’s not mentioned for quite sometime and even I also have to ‘rewind’ my memory to recall where is this Bridge haha. The younger generation may ask where exactly is Merdeka Bridge in Singapore? In the 50s to 70s, this bridge was commonly known as 独立桥 (Independence Bridge) by the Chinese. ‘Merdeka’ is a Malay word which means Freedom or Independence. In fact from 50s to the 70s, Merdeka Bridge was mentioned frequently by the people. As time goes by especially in the late 80s onwards, Nicoll Highway was mentioned instead of Merdeka Bridge as Merdeka Bridge is just part of the Nicoll Highway. Where is this Merdeka Bridge then? This Bridge crosses the mouth of both the Rochor River and Kallang River. This Bridge was built in 1955 by PWD (Public Works Department). It was named Merdeka probably to symbolise the people’s pursuit and spirit for independence. The bridge was constructed to link two stretches of the then new Nicoll Highway. It was built at a cost of $9,500.000. It was declared open by the then Chief Minister Lim Yew Hock on 17 August 1956. It was the longest prestressed concrete bridge in South East Asia then (mid 50s). So why is this Bridge built then? It was built to ease the traffic congestion during peak hours at Geylang Road/Kallang Road then. It was part of the Nicoll Highway which the bridge linked. It should be 50 over years old by now. The main icons of the Merdeka Bridge should be the 2 Stone Lions guarding each side of the bridge. They have since been removed, first to Airport Road, and are currently placed at the SAFTI Military Institute in Jurong. Below shows 2 photos of the Merdeka Bridge after its completion in 1957; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS. You can see from the above 2 photos that there were a lot of undeveloped areas in the 50s. Probably we cannot recognise it haha. The stadium was not built then. Now, the National Stadium is going to be teared down… This is how the bridge looked like in 1978; Photo Credit : www.hanthorn.com Here is another view of the Merdeka Bridge; Photo Credit : Penang Antiques Here are some old postcards of the Merdeka Bridge; Note : You may wish to take note of the street lights design on the bridge was totally different from now. Take a closer look at the Stone Lion; Another view; Photo Credit : Nusantara That A&W I Knew First thing comes to mind is the Root Beer when one mention A&W! And I love that Root Beer Float! This followed by their waffle with ice-cream on top. I love this more than their Coney Dog (hot dog); You have probably read about A&W in Chun See post and Aroma Cookery. Most of us knew that the first A&W store opened at Dunearn Road in 1966. It was the first fast food from US to step into Singapore and later expanded throughout the island and including the zoo. Due to competition from other fast food chain, business was affected. In 1999, the outlet at the Singapore Zoo was closed down. By 2002, there were only 7 outlets around the island. So did A&W finally closed in 2003 or 2004? Not sure. You may probably still find A&W in Malaysia. How many of us know what ‘A&W’ stands for? The company name was taken from the last name initials of partners Roy Allen and Frank Wright. See the history here and here. The last A&W I still can find in Singapore was at the Changi Airport Transit area (can’t remember which terminal). In some records found on internet, in 2003 the A&W outlets are found at; A & W Changi Airport T2 Airport Blvd Changi Airport Passenger Terminal 2 A & W City Plaza 810 Geylang Rd. #01-00 City Plaza A & W Cuppage Mall Orchard Rd #01-K3 A & W Woodlands Blk 548 Woodlands Dr. #01-20 A & W Tampines Blk 201D Tampines St. 21 #01-1155 A & W Tampines Blk 205 Hougang St. 21 #01-133 Heartland Mall-Kovan I’m most bewildered by the outlet at Tampines Blk. 201D. As I’m staying near there, but I’ve not got the chance to eat at that outlet. It was a very small outlet (with aircon installation but you can’t feel the aircon type) and once I went in, I started to perspire. So I was out without having ordering anything. That outlet even got Nasi Lemak in it’s menu! But think it lasted only about 1 year or so… Do you still remember this outlet at Bukit Merah (besides the old HDB HQ)? Photo Credit : Designed For Living, HDB. Here are some old glasses from A&W found during the July Singapore Heritage Fair; So what is left now are just cans and cans of Root Beer that we can buy from the supermarkets; That Red Brick Library - Part 2 …cont’d from Part 1 Besides the above First Day Cover showing the National Library together with a few other landmarks of Singapore, I couldn’t find or remember seeing any stamps or covers on the old National Library alone. Wonder why? So do you know exactly where is this old red brick National Library? Let’s take a look at the old map below (around 70s) showing the National Library; You can see that the old National Library is just besides the National Museum at Stamford Road. The demolishing of this old red brick library is to facilitate the building of the Fort Canning Tunnel, but the reasons why the importance of this tunnel, I’m not keen at all to touch on it. See the current map now without the library; Of course with the tunnel built, and lots of road changes made and the SMU buildings around the area – it seems like a different landscape! Before my memories fade, let’s recall some of the main buildings around here… CPIB Building; This 3 storey building at Stamford Road was just near to the old library. The old Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) building was here from 1962 to 1984. Tao Nan Chinese School; The old Tao Nan Chinese School was located at Armenian Street and was built in 1906; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS. Now this building has been restored and it’s the Asian Civilisations Museum; MPH Building; This is an very old building (1908) formerly known as Malaya Publishing House (MPH). This Red and White colored building seems like a very “expensive” bookshop to me during my school days. I still remember the wooden staircase inside the bookshop; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS It is now known as the Vanguard Building, which houses the Vanguard Interiors Pte Ltd; After taking a look around the old library, now let’s take a look at the old library itself. But just before that, we probably could not forget that old coffee shop besides the library carpark. It’s a very small coffee shop. Below shows some old photos of the red brick library; The front main staircase Photo Credit : National Library Board, NLB Below shows 2 photos taken in 2004. The courtyard which is rather different from the 70s; The most memorable fountain at the library. Wonder where it is now? Above 2 photos credit : By James 1504 Take note of the old logo at the main entrance of the library; Photo Credit : National Library Board, NLB See the difference with the new logo; Now let’s talk about the National Library Logo; During the Raffles Library times : The Logo resembled the crest of the Colony of Singapore. The crest which looked like the British Royal Coat of Arms had mottoes that read “Dieu et mon droit” (French for ‘God and my right’). It neither represented the library’s function nor aspiration. Below – something like that; Credit : Wikipedia In the 60s : The National Library carried its own logo. It is said that the logo was designed by one of the librarians. The logo composed of a book and a superimposed figure of a lion. The book symbolised the collections, or books and reading, while the lion represented Singapore. This logo was seen on library cards and library books. The old library card carrying the old logo; The New Logo : The new logo was launched in 1996 after it became a statutory board. The logo is composed of a stylised book with flipping pages that transits from bold solid pages to pixels. It symbolises the organisation’s aspiration of a modern, dynamic and creative library and information service provider. Meaning of the new logo as stated in the library report; Stylised book and flipping pages Represents qualities of dynamism and the power of unlimited learning. It also reflects the qualities that promote reading, learning and a continual search for information. Transition from bold solid pages to pixel Traces the evolution from print to electronic media. It represents NLB’s focus in current technology and its commitment to be at the cutting edge of technological developments as well as the drive for improvement and expansion of its services. Three pages Depicts the library system’s three-tier concept: regional, community and neighbourhood libraries and the outreach programme to bring information to the doorstep of every household in Singapore. Here is the new logo; …how I miss the old red brick library… Built in 1960 and end in Mar 2004…lived a life of 44 years! That Red Brick Library - Part 1 I remember that was how it looked like in the 60s/70s. If I’m not wrong, my last visit there was during my secondary school days in the 70s. After the Fort Canning Tunnel was completed, what remained are the 2 red brick pillars (previously located at the entrance of library); Significant changes are seen in these areas of the old National Library! Check here for a more detail of the History of National Library. Maybe a brief Time Line of the National Library may help; 1823 : A small collection of books were started in Singapore Institution (known Raffles Institution in 1950). Mainly for the British and priviledged class. Below shows the old Raffles Institution at Bras Basah Road where the current Raffles City stands; 1862 – 1876 : The Library was then transferred to the Town Hall (known as Victoria Memorial Hall). The postcard below shows the old Town Hall; 1874 : The British Colonial government took over the library and renamed it Raffles Library. 1876 : The Raffles Library again relocated back to Raffles Institution. 1887 : The Raffles Institution moved to the domed shape buidling (now National Museum) along Stamford Road. It was also known as the Raffles Library and Museum Building. The library was located at the West Wing. Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS. 1942 – 1945 : During the Japanese Occupation, the library was renamed as Shonan Library. 1945 – 1953 : After the Japanese surrendered, the BMA (British Military Administration) took over the running of the library. 1953 : Dato Lee Kong Chian offered S$375,000 to build a free public library and the British accepted the offer. The old St. Andrew’s Chapel and British Council Hall located at the Stamford Road were demolished to make way for the then new red brick library. Below shows the then British Council Hall located at Stamford Road; Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS. Below shows Dato Lee Kong Chian laying the foundation stone at the library in 1957. Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS. 1958 – 1960 : The library then was a project of the then Labour Front and the National Library was officially established in 1958. Below shows the Mobile Van of the then Raffles National Library. Photo Credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS. 1960 : The Public Works Department (PWD) completed the red brick library in 1960 and it was opened by our late President Inche Yusof bin Ishak. Finally the National Library was at this red brick building at Stamford Road and separate from the National Museum. 1995 : In 1995, the National Library Board was formed. 2004 : The old red brick National Library was officially closed on 31 March 2004. Photo Credit : National Library Board. 2005 : The National Library moved to its new premises at Victoria Street in 22 July 2005. The library consists of two 16 storey blocks, with three basements. It has the glass building like in contrast to the old red brick look. Do you still remember those old library cards (borrowers’ cards)? Think one need to deposit a small amount of money and get these 4 beige colored cards; Credit : Emily Lim Or do you remember the Due Date slip pasted on the inside of the front cover of the books you borrowed? The above are no longer in use now. All you need is just to scan your IC or Student Pass at the Borrowing Machine (after you have registered as member) to borrow a book. A Loan Receipt will be printed from the machine showing the due date; There are still many good memories of the red brick library itself and the surrounding, but I’ll continue in Part 2…… To be continued in Part 2… 1 Room Flat Look at the above floor plan…and you may ask where is the the Living Room (or Hall)? Maybe you will ask if this is a Studio Apartment? But when you look closer at the plan, the main door of one unit is directly opposite to the neighbour’s main door. You don’t find these configuration any more in the newer flats. The Living Room is counted as one room, so it’s called 1 room flat. This is probably the 23 sq.m. type. You can imagined in the past, for those with big family – all of them squeezing into this 1 room flat sleeping on the floor. See how they look like in real – door to door; I’m not too sure if the inside of the above photos are still of 1 room flat type as I found these flats at Beach Road; I remember I used to visit my cousin who was staying at Tronoh Road (off Lavender St.) in such 1 room flat. The narrow passageway was very dark and some were smelly as well. In the past, most of the kids were playing together outside and usually the doors were not closed. I myself had some experiences staying in such 1 room flat at my Auntie’s house at Mattar Road and later a 2 room flat (1 living hall and 1 bedroom)at Aljunied Road then. Guess the early HDB flats were designed with minimum sizes and costs in mind. Also these were probably built in the 60s period, so they may be rushing for time to complete as many as possible. Do you know why HDB called those without any bedroom a “1 room flat” and those with 2 bedroom and 1 living hall a “3 room flat”? It’s because like I’ve said earlier, the Living Hall is considered as 1 Bedroom. My Memories of Toa Payoh My earliest visits to Toa Payoh were for my majong sessions with my Poly classmates. I don’t think I could remember which Lorong Jeffrey Heng stayed… Every trip there brought excitement to me. I loved the big old bus interchange and the hawker centre besides it. We ate there before going to his house for majong. - Bus Interchange Sad that the old bus interchange was demolished in 1999 to make way for the HDB Hub (HDB shift their HQ from Jalan Bukit Merah to here). So the bus interchange relocate to a temporary location opposite its original site and then shift back after the Hub was completed. Here is how the old bus interchange looked like in 1988; Photo credit : National Archives of Singapore, PICAS Below the temporary bus interchange in 2002; Photo credit : dgf6928 (definitely not me in the photo, so don’t be mistaken – just someone off the net that I don’t know) The new Toa Payoh air-conditioned bus interchange (first in Singapore) at the HDB Hub; - Toa Payoh Library Of course, the nearby Toa Payoh Library was another must visit then when I needed to borrow some books. In front of the library, there was a fountain but now it’s replaced by amphitheatre. The library together with the fountain was built in 1973; The fountain in front of the library in the 80s; Photo Credit : HDB, Designed For Living The above photo you can see the cinema besides it and the old bus stop on the right hand side. How the library looks like after a face lift; Below the amphitheater in front of the library; Below you can see the HDB Hub building behind the library; Photo credit : Jakrapong - Toa Payoh Garden Remember this was the landmark of most wedding couples having their wedding photos taken here then. This was the Toa Payoh Garden Restaurant in the 80s; Photo credit : Yiho How it looks now; Above 2 photo credit : Sophiazz Photo credit : Chyeo1979 Kampong Bugis or 火城 When you mention 火城 in the past, most people will know you were talking about Kampong Bugis or Kallang Junction. Specifically 火城 referred to Kampong Bugis instead of Kallang Junction. But why named it 火城 (Fire City – direct translation)? It’s probably due to the installation of the Gas Work at the Kallang Juction or Kampong Bugis. So when Kallang Gas Work started? Maybe 1861, take a look here. Maybe it’s easier to know the Kallang Gas Works ceased operation on 23 Mar 1998. This big blue cylinder is really a landmark at Kallang. Most people will know of it’s existence in the past. Let’s take an aerial view of this blue cylinder from an old photo; Photo Credit : National Archives, PICAS This was how it looked in 1961. Take note of the surrounding buildings and landmarks. Take a look at this very old street directory; Credit : Singapore Street Directory, Chief Surveyor The Gasworks was shown clearly on the map. Below is another old street directory showing the Gasworks location and it’s surrounding; Credit : Singapore Street Directory 1976 edition, Chief Surveyor So what memories did it bring back for me? 1. Chicken shops at Kallang Junction These are the row of shophouses located along the Kallang Road near the junction of Crawford Street shown number 2 in the above map. There were a couple of shops selling chicken and eggs. I remember my godmother and godsister brought me there to buy those eggs that were about to hatch. They used to check it by holding the egg against a light bulb. The popular coffee shop was a much later event. 2. Kwong Fook Chinese School This was a local Chinese School where my father once studied there. Its premises were now occupied by the Tai Pei Buddhist Centre; 3. Old houses along Kallang Road These were the old houses located along Kallang Road towards the Gasworks before the Hindu Temple shown on the left below; Photo Credit : National Archives, PICAS 4. Hindu Temple and Trespass Sign Photo Credit : National Archives, PICAS The familiar red white stripes on the side wall of this Hindu temple is another landmark just before the Kallang Gasworks along Kallang Road or Kampong Bugis. This Manmatha Karuneshvarar Temple was built just after the gasworks were established. Also you will find this no trespass sign if you pass by that place at that time; Photo Credit : National Archives, PICAS To others, the Kallang Gasworks may made them recall the 1964 Racial Riots; Photo Credit : National Archives, PICAS So what is left behind now? Here is how the Kallang Junction looks like in 2005; Photo credit : Wikipedia See the blue cylinder was gone (above photo). What you can see now is the remains of one of the gasholder located at the Car Park of Kampong Bugis; Map credit : Mighty Minds, Singapore Street Directory See how this gas holder looked like in 1900; Photo Credit : National Archives, PICAS The other remains are the hardware used in Gasworks incorporated into this Spirit of Kallang Sculpture; Photo Credit : Nusantara.com You will find this sculpture on the left if you are driving along Crawford Street towards Beach Road. And this is how the place looks like now in 2007; Big Splash Photo Credit : The Big Splash postcard by LimYap Collectibles. When you mention Big Splash now to the youngster, they may ask you “Where ah?”. It is of course located at the East Coast Park. Not surprising as it now not only lose its colourful slides but also its past glory. Probably built in 1976, and it was then Singapore’s first water theme park. Not only that, the top slide was about 7 storey high too! How the Big Splash looked like in 2004; Whenever I see these colourful slides, it brings back beautiful memories – how I enjoyed those slides down especially from the top one. But after sliding down, the walk to the top slide again was really exhausting! Saw the following video on Youtube and it really brings back good memories; Video Credit : Chikopeh Big Splash Stunt Team Though in recent years whenever I passed by the Big Splash, all I see is the Seafood International lobster sign – the colorful slides view seems to be a thing of the past. Though it tried to have a seafood restaurant, a mini indoor golf – Lulliput, etc… it still cannot revive this seawater aquatic complex. All these were after the major renovations in 2002 and now, another major refurbishing is going on. What will happen after… we won’t know…. The familiar lobster signboard; Still undergoing the major refurbishing in May 2007; Note that the colourful slides are gone; The Big Splash site is still around but not updated.